It’s just outrageous, and shows how extremist conservatives have become as a result of their nomination of Romney and Ryan. First, “Chicagoland” is a disrespectful way of referring to the President’s home town, and has a connotation of blackness, as in “Sugarland,” as though Chicago were some kind of disreputable black nightclub. Second, as has been pointed out on the invaluable Chris Matthews program, the name “Chicago” itself is code for blacks because many blacks live there, and there is also a racist stereotype gaining ground that black violence is especially high in that city. Third, the word “shooting” is obvious racist code for blacks. No publication should ever use such a racist word. And finally to say that this is the “2ND [shooting] IN WEEK” is to suggest that black violence is very frequent.

The total impact of these racist code words is to make people associate Obama with blackness and associate blackness with uncontrolled violence.

If only America didn’t have the free-speech protections that have allowed racism to flourish here as in no other country. If only, like the rest of the civilized world, we had laws that made it a crime to disparage an ethnic or racial group. Then Matt Drudge would get what he deserves.

But wait—there’s a problem. The headline of the story that Drudge links is just as racist as Drudge’s own headline. And not only that, but it’s from CBS Local in Chicago:

Another Person Shot Near Obama’s

Chicago Home

“Shot … Chicago … Obama …”

All racist code. Or at least a racist dog whistle.

If even the mainstream media are trafficking in this disgusting anti-black bigotry, what hope is there for America? And how can blacks ever hope to succeed in this country? They are crippled from the start by stereotype anxiety. Posted by Lawrence Auster at August 31, 2012 11:47 PM | Send